


The Statue

by PeacekeeperAngel



Category: Super Mario & Related Fandoms, Super Paper Mario (Game)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:28:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24596773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeacekeeperAngel/pseuds/PeacekeeperAngel
Summary: While Preparing for the Wedding Ceremony to summon the Dark Heart, Nastasia discovers a hidden secret in Count Bleck's Private chambers. - a Pre-game short story
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	The Statue

“Mimi what are you doing?”

The young green girl jerked in surprise, turning to see Nastasia’s flat disapproving grimace from behind oval-shaped spectacles.

“Oh, uh Nassy it’s you!” Mimi tittered nervously as she brushed imaginary dust from her finely crafted yellow dress, as if she hadn’t been peering into the keyhole of a large set of black doors. “Oh w-well I was just-”  
  
“You were peeking into Count Bleck’s private chambers.” Nastasia flatly cut the younger minion off, quietly. “Instead of getting the Princess ready for the big wedding in the main hall. Correct?”

“No! I totally got that pink puffball all set up!” Mimi declared sourly. “And lemme tell you, getting a sleeping person into a wedding dress was no picnic!”  
  


It had been a necessary annoyance, keeping Princess Peach in a hypnotic slumber until the “wedding” in order to keep her out of trouble while the count himself dealt with the gruesome groom and his goon squad. While Nastasia would have prepared the bride herself to avoid the hassle, Mimi had taken one look at her functionally utilitarian wardrobe and proceeded to whine her way into the position of bride-wrangler.  
  
“K then,” Nastasia said coolly adjusting her glasses, “Then I’m going to have to ask again: why are you peeking into Count Bleck’s personal quarters?”

Mimi’s face fell, as though a dark cloud had rolled over her. “It’s not cause I want to-” she muttered, “-Well I kind of want to I mean the Count is so super handsome n’everything...”  
  
“Mimi.” Nastasia warned sharply.

“NYAAAAH!” the young girl looked up with tears in her eyes, “Dementio stole my diary again!” she confessed with a pout, “I’ve looked everywhere for it!”  
  
“Process of elimination. Of course.” Nastasia gave a vexed sigh as she ran though her mental checklist on how she was going to throttle Dementio next time she saw him. The odd little clown man was charming, but always in a way that reminded her of a coiled viper. What was worse was he enjoyed tormenting the other minions whenever he got bored, which was far too often for Nastasia’s liking.  
  
“I thought if Dimentio hid it in the count’s rooms I could see it, and if I saw it I could just sneak it and grab my diary back with nobody knowing the wiser!” Mimi wailed, “I just want my diary ba _aaahaaaack!_ ”

“Alright, alright calm down!” Nastasia insisted, uncertain if the young girl was about to cry or do something that would require a cleanup crew. “Um... how about you go help O’Chunks and I’ll look for your diary?”  
  
Mimi blinked in surprise, “Really? Won’t the Count be super mad?”  
  
“Well... I’ll just say I was looking for him... for a report... yeah.” Nastasia muttered nervously not likely where the conversation was going

“Oh you are the _best_ Nastasia!” Mimi exclaimed, tears forgotten. “Don’t worry I’ll make sure that silly O’Chunks has the wedding hall look nice for the Count!” and with a tittering laugh, the small green-haired girl was gone, leaving Nastasia to contemplate her life choices in front the foreboding black doors. 

Even when Nastasia had been the only minion to serve Count Bleck, she had respected his privacy, the moments when his heartache had grown too great to stand company and he retreated into his quarters. She had personally reinforced this with the other minions by doling out hefty punishments and managing the workload until the Count would emerge, usually shaken and a little dishevelled but nothing that a good meal, bath and an impressive amount of acting could disguise.

She truly hated having to do this task,  but the idea that Dimentio had defiled the count’s sanctuary all in the name of petty mischief making bothered her even more.    
  
_Just in, and out._ She told herself as she raised a hand to knock on the doors, nearly jumping out of her skin  hearing the terrific bang that resulted from her knuckles striking the black, almost glassy door. 

Nothing. No sound, nothing that would hint that there was a presence behind the door. At least that made things easier. With a careful grasp of the circular carving that acted as a doorknob, she carefully cracked it open just enough for Nastasia to peer inside.  
  
It was...quite honestly an absolute wreck. Destroyed furniture, bits of paper in various states of being torn, crumpled up, scribbled upon and  scattered about filled the room. There was several paintings that had been slashed, thrown and destroyed- one even had a small amount of charring in one side.  
  
“Count Bleck...?” Nastasia murmured uneasily stepping into the room and jerking to one side when her shoe came down on the shattered remains of what looked to be a wine glass, complete with the wine, dried to the point it wasn’t sticky, but still leaving an unpleasant stain on the floor. 

“Note to self, sneak back in here with a broom later....” She would never forgive herself if the count decided to return to those glass shards. While it appeared that his dedication to the Dark Prognosticus had held Count Bleck from ever going that far, it would only be good sense not to tempt fate.   
  
The sound of Ruffling cloth had drew Nastasia’s attention to the centre of the room where something was covered by a large ruined sheet. Something with a pedestal as that’s where she saw a book, bright pastel in hue and with far too much glitter that could be considered good taste. Mimi’s diary. 

“Oh good, there it is!” Nastasia breathed a sigh of relief as she strode towards the no longer missing item. “Further note to self, Punish Dimentio, research options.” she picked up the book only to yelp in surprise when the sheet slipped away from the object it was covering. 

The sheet fell at the base of a life-sized statue made from the whitest, purest marble that Nastasia had ever seen. The statue was of a woman rising from a kneeling position,  a distressed expression had been carved despite her eyes being firmly shut. Every fold of her simple dress, every hair had been carefully and delicately sculpted to the point were Nastasia could believe the statue would stand and speak with her. 

  
“Is...” she felt a small swell of jealousy in her chest.  She remembered the Count’s story that night he had saved her, There was no doubt this statue was of Count Bleck’s- no, Lord Blumiere’s lost love. 

And for this one brief moment Nastasia could understand why. The image was of a woman delicate, but with a firm inner strength that demanded your  attention, but with an empathy that the Vampiress found both awe-inspiring and a little bit frightening. 

Yes the lady was beautiful and Nastasia hated it.  The sight of the woman who won before Nastasia had even had a chance irritated  her on a level she could not abide. She bent down to pick up the sheet, to re-cover the offending statue and forget she ever even saw it- 

“Nastasia what are you doing?... Queries Count Bleck.”

  
She leapt to her feet, whirling to see the  last person Nastasia wanted to see floating in mid-step from the door, plain baffled confusion written across the count’s cerulean face. 

“M-m-my lord count!” Nastasia stammered, feeling heat rise to her blue-tinted skin “I-um apologize, yeah...” she scuttled away from the statue, “I was resolving a minor conflict with the minions when I came in, I apologize.”  
  
the Count’s one eye darted briefly downwards, to the pastel book wedged behind her clipboard,  “Ah, Dimentio is at it again?” he concluded, his voice calm and even as he drifted towards the statue. “Count Bleck is not surprised. We shall have to find something for him to do.”  


“Of course count, I’ll see to it.” Nastasia said, watching the warlock reach up and gently touch the statue’s outstretched fingertips with his his free hand, “Ah...” she started.

“Yes Nastasia?” the warlock asked, not tearing his gaze away from the statue, “What do you wish to ask of Count Bleck?”  
  
“Um...the statue...it’s of her right?” the secretary didn’t have to elaborate. There was only one “her” that would mean anything to Count Bleck, “I was wondering...why does the statue have it’s eyes closed?” 

  
Nastasia watched as the count’s hand moved from the statue’s and rested on it’s marble cheek, “Her eyes were open once.” He admitted,  his voice soft, unlike his usual bombast , “When I started  carving I did want a perfect likeness...I was terrified of forgetting her face.”  his hand fell away, tucking it once again under his cape. “ But when I saw her eyes I began to wonder what she would say... What she would think of me now?”  he turned away from the statue. “Count Bleck cannot afford such thoughts, and so her eyes are shut.” he said, voice loud and clear as it always was. “It will be better this way, so decrees Count Bleck.” 

Nastasia so wanted to believe that, but the tension refused to leave her body. “Of course sir.” She  flipped through her notes. “O'Chunks has the Wedding pavilion set up and the members of Bowser's organization firmly corralled. 

“Bleh heh heh,” the count chuckled darkly, “Excellent work! Commendations for all decrees Count Bleck!” he declared with almost manic enthusiasm, “Let us commence the ceremony! The beginning of the end is nigh!”  
  


Nastasia cast one last glance at the statue, “Yes sir.”  she said, fiddling with her glasses and trying to ignore the feeling of apprehension growing in the pit of her stomach. 

  
  
  


  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired by a drawing I did while on a Super Paper Mario Fan-binge so I dabbled it up real quick. May be subject to editing in the future. 
> 
> Picture that inspired this story can be found here: https://peacekeeperangel.tumblr.com/post/620307019202707456


End file.
